The Day The Absol Went Crazy
by SolarPhoenixStar
Summary: So, ever felt like your world was crashing down around you? I hope not. It's not a fun experience. I suppose you all know that time some idiot created a super-powerful Pokemon who decided NOT to destroy the world? Where I'm from, that's not how it went. And that's not even getting into everything that happened afterwards. It all started the day every Absol on the planet lost it . .
1. Prologue -3: Panic

Prologue -3: Panic

It started with the Absol. I remember it vividly. Mine had it bad enough.

It was a sunny day in Almia, no sign that anything was wrong. Hell, we were having a picnic.

I watched as my own Absol cheerfully took a bite out of her slice of cake. "You like that, girl?" I grinned, rubbing the tuft of fur behind her horn. She nodded and chirped cheerfully.

"She says that the icing is a bit rich, but it's very good," a voice droned behind me. I turned and saw my Metagross analytically eyeing a sandwich. An experimental purple transceiver with a tiny speaker was strapped to his chin.

A while ago, I and my team had volunteered to test an experimental 'Pokemon translator' the boffins in Johto had come up with. It had _technically_ worked, but it also put incredible strain on the user's brain and prolonged usage would result in permanent damage. Luckily, Metagrosses had four of them, which allowed him to withstand the strain better than any other Pokemon, and I had just so happened to have one in my care. The boffins had promised to figure out a way to fix it, and let me keep the prototype for his use in thanks for the trouble.

Don't get started on 'Metagross don't have gender, blah blah blah'. I don't like referring to living beings as 'it's, and I already get enough of that from my sister anyway.

My whole team was at the picnic. Charizard and Gyarados were squabbling as usual - those two were so good at not getting along, they could probably get arguing certified as an Olympic sport - and I cast a wry glance at Metagross for an explanation as to the topic of their argument.

"I believe that they are arguing over who gets the last of the cookies," the Steel-Type supplied.

I nodded, and whistled to get their attention, snatching up the cookie from the bereft plate. The two paused and balefully glared at me. "Gyah!" the Water-Type spat.

I broke the biscuit in half and tossed each of them one of the pieces.

I heard chuckles, and looked over to the other corner. My Sylveon shook her head, giggling like mad. I sighed, but couldn't stop a smile from playing across my lips. That girl always found something to laugh at.

I had first accepted an Evee egg on a bet from a friend of mine called Rachael. My Sylveon in particular came from a long line of Evees who had, without exception, become Umbreons. She had bet that I couldn't get mine to become anything else.

After she evolved, Rachael had refused to pay up on the grounds that 'I had probably just traded the Evee for a Sylveon, no way that's the same one'. So she was a sore loser. No one's perfect.

I felt a furry body press against me from behind and smiled, turning to see my Luxray eyeing me, his paws on either side of a worn red ball. I rubbed his head affectionately and picked up the ball, seeing him eye it with a cocky smirk. "That's a boy," I smiled, reaching behind me, before bringing my hand up over my shoulder and tossing an object into the air.

Luxray turned and bolted, chasing after the thrown object.

"Is he aware that he is chasing an apple?" Metagross questioned.

"Doubt he minds," I shrugged. "Besides, this thing needs all the help it can get," I commented, holding up the scuffed and mutilated ball for my Pokemon's inspection.

Suddenly, Absol squeaked. I turned to her in surprise as her eyes widened. "What is it, girl?"

"Look up," Metagross advised, and I obliged, casting my eyes skyward.

I was rapidly rewarded by seeing, high above me, a writhing green shape. Immediately guessing its identity, I snatched my pair of binoculars from my backpack and looked up.

Rayquaza's eyes glinted in the sunlight as it crossed the sky. "No way," I breathed, reaching for my Pokedex and activating the camera. It was a rare treat to see a Legendary Pokemon, even from as far away as this, and I rapidly snapped a photograph.

My wonder was interrupted by Absol's scream. I turned in an instant, and my own eyes widened.

The poor Pokemon had her eyes squeezed tight and her forepaws pressed to her ears. I cursed, remembering the last time this had happened.

Days before a major tsunami that had almost wiped half of the Orange Islands off the map.

After watching it be averted by an attendant Lugia, we had decided it was a good time to head back to the mainland. And if she was feeling something similar again, we were in trouble.

I gritted my teeth and lifted my Pokemon onto my lap, wrapping my arms around her neck and stroking her back. Slowly, her breathing became less laboured. "It's okay, girl, I've got ya," I softly told her.

"Ab! Ab ab ab sooooool!" she bleated in panic.

I looked at Metagross as Charizard and Gyarados paused, horror-stricken by whatever she had just said.

"There is going to be a terrible disaster soon," the four-brained Pokemon rumbled.

"Okay, girl. Can you tell us where? We need to spread the word, get people to safety," I frowned.

"That is the issue," Metagross emotionlessly told me. "The disaster is going to happen everywhere. There will be no safe refuge,"

I blinked, uncomprehending. "What? But . . but . . . what?"

"I believe our friend just predicted the end of the world," Metagross sighed. "And I was so looking forward to retirement,"

I booted up the Pokedex' internet browser and checked out the trainer blogs, searching for information.

It took a little while for people to get around to posting and updating their status, and it wasn't like every trainer out there had an Absol, but soon the consensus was clear, between synchronised panics of Disaster Pokemon on several separate continents, video footage of white stampedes, and the fact that every known Legendary Pokemon - and several that weren't - were emerging from their hiding spots and getting on the move.

Correctly guessing my intentions, Charizard and Sylveon packed up the remnants of the picnic.

"Can you handle being returned?" I gently asked my Absol, who nodded. A wan smile crossed my face, and I produced her Pokeball, returning her to the small device.

Almia wasn't big on scientists. The general opinion was 'Let Johto and Sinnoh figure all that out, who really cares?" However, there was one man in my home region who I was happy to call a close friend. Professor Trevors was a genius when it came to understanding how Pokemon energy worked, and how best to take advantage of that energy.

Whatever this fiasco was, he'd probably have a better idea than anyone else I knew.

"We're going to see Professor Trevors, everyone," I nodded, smiling at the two Pokemon who had helpfully gotten everyone back into my bag.

"Lux," my starter agreed, and I affectionately fondled his ears, before returning him, as I did Gyarados, Sylveon and Metagross. "Charizard? Mind giving me a lift?"

The great orange lizard nodded with a smile before extending his back in a clear invitation. "Atta boy," I grinned, shouldering my bag and climbing onto the space between his wings in a well-practised manoeuvre. "Whaddya think, Char? Trevors?"

"Zar, zar," the Flying-Type nodded in agreement, spreading his wings. I remembered just in time to cling to his neck, as, with a mighty leap, he threw himself into the air.

I watched in irritation as my Pokedex tumbled out of my hand and fell to the grassy ground below. "Chari, dude? We gotta go back,"

X

The door swung open as soon as my Pokemon landed, and I promptly returned him, landing carefully on the pavement outside my favourite scientist's door. I quickly checked to make sure I hadn't dropped anything, before stepping forwards and ringing the doorbell.

No response.

Eyes half-lidded in irritation, I experimentally tried the doorknob. It swung open immediately, and I shook my head, stepping inside. It was just like Trevors to forget to lock his own front door.

"Professor!" I shouted, looking around. His house was a cosy place on the ground floor, consisting of a living room, kitchen and bedroom that could have been taken straight out of a furniture catalogue. He rarely used them, most of his time we spent on the first floor.

When, once again, no one answered me, I crossed to the polished-oak staircase and ascended to the next floor.

Unlike the lowest part of the house, the entire first floor was taken up by a single room, with a few pillars in the centre for stability and a long bench running the entire perimeter of the room. This was the Professor's lab, and it looked like a hurricane had thrown a dance party. Papers were strewn at random across the floor, accompanied by an assortment of complex-looking gizmos and parts. A filing cabinet had been laid on its side, and I narrowly avoided tripping over a discarded chair as I looked around.

"I wonder what the Professor's been doing now," I sighed. For a man like Trevors, this was actually surprisingly tidy.

A trapdoor opened in the ceiling and I looked up in surprise, seeing Professor Trevors scurry down the ladder. "Ah, Zach, my boy, what a perfect time for you to show up! I recently managed to acquire something that you should find most interesting!"

I ruefully smiled. I had always said that the Professor was the kind of person who wouldn't quit his research for the end of the world.

It had been funnier when the world wasn't ending.

"Professor. It's the Absol," I interrupted him.

"Yes, yes it is!" he vigorously agreed, rushing over to a bench and snatching up a piece of paper.

I blinked. "You already know?"

"Of course I do, my boy, this is a very important matter!" he rushed out, dashing upstairs again and fumbling around.

"So you've got a plan? Some way to figure things out?" I asked, my excitement mounting.

"Yes, my boy, I do! And I know what the absolute first priority has to be!" he shouted from upstairs, clattering back down the ladder.

"Brilliant!" I grinned. The old man had already come up with a plan to save the world. Perfect. "What do we have to do?"

He whirled to me, holding a small object in his hand. "We have to get this to a tailor!" he declared, showing me a small, round, translucent blue gemstone with a navy-and-white fleck down the middle. "Absolite, Zach! One of my friends in the archaeology department found this, and I just so happened to mention I knew an up-and-coming trainer who would love to have this!" He winked at me with a cheerful grin. "I know your birthday is still a month or two away, but I just couldn't wait!"

Absolite. A Mega-stone. And not just any Mega-stone, a Mega-stone that was directly compatible with one of my favourite Pokemon. On any other day, I would have been thrilled by Trevors' news.

"What? No!" I shouted. "Absol plural, not mine in particular!"

"No, no. We only have the one Absolite, not enough for all of them," Trevors shook his head. "I don't think that much Absolite even exists,"

"You're not listening!" I shouted in frustration. "All over the world, Absol everywhere are predicting an apocalypse in a couple of days!"

He frowned, before pressing the Absolite into my hand and dashing back upstairs. "In that case, my boy, there's something I want you to have,"

I sighed and pocketed the Absolite. What was it now?

Trevors immediately returned, brandishing a yellow device. "Here, boy. Take this, and go figure out what's going on," he commanded.

I blinked, accepting the machine. "What is it?" I queried.

"A pet project of mine. I'd really like more time to perfect it, but if the world's ending, you're gonna need all the help you can get," he told me.

"But . . what can I do? I'm just a kid with a few Pokemon," I frowned.

Professor Trevors smiled ruefully. "Precisely, dear boy. There is no stronger force in this world or any other than a trainer's bond with his Pokemon. Remember that, and off you go," he commanded me, pushing me back down the stairs.

"Huh? Where am I going?" I frowned.

"Sinnoh. You need to find Arceus. If the world is ending, he's the only one capable of preventing it," the man told me.

I paled. My friend had just asked me to find God and convince him to do me a favour. "What? But . ."

"It's our only shot, m'boy. Go!" Trevors shouted at me and closed the front door in my face.

A/N

 **A/N**

 **Hi everyone! I'm Zero, and this is my first time writing a fic!**

 **Also, this isn't Solar. She's a friend of mine, letting me borrow her account to post this.**

 **Nothing much to say this early in the fic, please R &R! Bye!**


	2. Prologue -2: Journey

Prologue -2: Journey

After a moment's thought, I released my six Pokemon. As soon as she hit the ground, Absol winced, screwing her eyes shut. "Return her," Metagross recommended, and I nodded, tripping the clasp on her Pokeball again.

"Whaddya all think?" I asked the other five. "Should we go to Sinnoh and look for Arceus?"

"Gya," Gyarados shook his head. "Lux," Luxray argued. "Zar, zar," Charizard retorted.

"Gyara! Gya gya gyara!" the Water-Type growled. "Chari char!" his enemy retorted.

"Sylph," my Fairy-Type shook her head in amused disdain.

I looked over at Metagross for a translation with a raised eyebrow. "Luxray and Charizard feel that Sinnoh is a good idea. Gyarados is not in agreement,"

"And you?" I asked. The big guy didn't show his emotions much, but his opinion was as important as any. "Logically, despite my inability to estimate our chances, if there is any hope at all to prevent the apocalypse, then we ought to attempt," the speaker on his chin blared.

"Sylph!" the vulpine fairy nodded in agreement.

"And that's a majority," I smiled. "Sorry, Gyar," The sea serpent huffed as I returned him. "Lux," my starter commented.

"He believes that he can carry you on the first leg of the journey to Sinnoh, and Charizard can fly the rest of the way when he tires," Metagross translated. "Good idea," I smiled, returning the other three. I took a second to affectionately pat Absol's Pokeball, and transferred the Absolite to a safer position in my backpack. It was then I remembered the device Trevors had given me, and I produced it for further inspection.

"Ray, ray," the lion growled, and I nodded, correctly guessing his meaning and putting it away. "You're right, it can wait," I carefully straddled the Pokemon's back, getting into a good position.

As Luxray dashed across fields and roads, I kept one eye on my Pokedex' internet browser, keeping an eye out for any new information. Nothing major so far, but Absol predictions usually happened a day or two in advance. Which meant we had about 45 hours to prepare for the worst. It would probably take about seven hours to reach Sinnoh, knowing Luxray and Charizard's top speeds, and I kept coaxing my Pokemon on, clinging to his mane as the wind whistled past.

It was when we were about half an hour into the trip when something smashed into Luxray and sent him sprawling. I was thrown clear and landed in a ditch. "Ow. Hey, what gives?" I frowned, looking at my Pokemon, who was sprawled on his belly at the base of a tree.

Wait . . . trees don't have eyes.

I fumbled with my belt and pulled out Luxray's Pokeball as the Trevenant brought its hands together for a massive blow.

It's claws hit empty air as my starter returned to its ball. The wild Pokemon growled, it's eyes turning to me. I snatched the first Pokeball that came to hand from my belt and threw it at the Trevenant, where it bounced off its face and fell backwards, before opening.

"What is the situation?" Metagross questioned.

"That Trevenant knocked me off Luxray," I explained. "Knock it . . ." I paused, feeling something vibrate in my pocket. It was Trevors' device, and I pulled it out in interest.

"Driver-compatible Pokemon detected," the device spoke. "Please capture for synchronisation,"

I frowned, but shrugged, pulling a spare Pokeball out of my bag. There had to be a reason for this, right? "Okay, Metagross. Apparently we have to catch that Trevenant. Give it a shot with Hyper Beam!" I commanded, and the Steel-Type nodded, firing an X-shaped beam of light. The tree was blown backwards, before retaliating with a swinging Tree Slam, which bounced off Metagross' leg and knocked him back. I watched carefully, waiting for the perfect time to capture the Pokemon.

It arrived when Metagross landed a Meteor Mash, knocking the Pokemon onto its back and stunning it. "Now is the opportunity," he reported, and I tossed the ball, which soared over Metagross' pod-like body and landed near the Trevenant's roots, cracking open. I crossed my fingers.

The Trevenant was absorbed in a flash of light, and I cautiously approached the ball as it quivered and shook. But, finally, it pinged and settled, and I snatched it up, eyeing it cautiously. "Don't suppose you wanna tell me why I needed to catch him?" I asked the machine, but it was silent.

"Allow Luxray a rest. There is a river in that direction, Gyarados can carry you for a while," Metagross suggested.

"Good idea. Mind staying out for a while? I want you to translate so I can talk to him," I requested, holding up the new ball. "Very well," Metagross nodded. "Follow me," He turned in the direction of the river, and I followed, throwing the Pokeball over my shoulder as I did.

Trevenant re-materialised and stretched. "Trevenant," he growled.

"He says, 'What the hell was that for?'," Metagross told me.

"You attacked me first. Also, the world is ending, so you can sit around attacking peaceful trainers and their Pokemon, or you could try to help," I reasoned.

"Treh? Nant, nant, Trevenant!" The tree nodded frantically. "He says that in that case, he's completely willing to help out," Metagross translated.

"Venant, treve treeeeveeenant, trevenant, nant nant nant," the Pokemon rambled, easily keeping pace. "Apparently he's been considering getting a trainer for a while, and just wasn't sure how to go about it,"

"Well, it's not like I force my Pokemon to stick around. Just tell me if you want to leave, don't up and vanish for no known reason, okay?" I requested. The tree nodded eagerly, and I returned him. "The river is another five hundred metres in that direction," Metagross informed me, returning himself too.

I paused, thought for a second, and released Sylveon. "Sylph?" she chirped, looking around.

"I didn't want to walk by myself," I admitted, smiling at her. "Sylveon," she chirped in agreement, strutting along ahead of me.

To occupy myself as I walked, I fished out the device again and tried to boot it up. It succeeded immediately, but the first thing that came up read; CONNECT APPROPRIATE POWER SOURCE.

"What, this thing needs batteries?" I groaned, shaking it a bit.

A new message popped up. The Professor had programmed an instruction manual into it, I grinned. "Battle Ready Energy/Armour Kombat Booster," I read, stumbling over the fact that the word 'combat' was spelt with a 'K'. "This device is built to draw energy from a appropriate source and transfer it to a Pokemon to increase their capabilities in battle," I inferred from the technical description. "However, beta testing has indicated that only Pokemon with a certain kind of internal energy signature are compatible with this device. A scanner has been installed that automatically scans the energy signature of all nearby Pokemon in order to determine if they are compatible,"

"Sylph?" Sylveon frowned. "No idea how to trigger it, though, sorry," I shrugged. "Guess Trevenant's compatible,"

We reached the river and I returned the Eveelution, throwing Gyarados out instead. The Pokemon glared at me, and I glared back. "I know you're not a fan of the plan, but if there's any chance to figure all this out, we have to try," My Pokemon thought this over for a second, but sighed, and offered his broad back. "Cheers," I grinned, straddling his neck and getting comfortable. "Maybe I should get a Pidgeot or an Aerodactyl," I considered. My Pokemon nodded in agreement, setting off down the river, and I held on tight.

As I did, I checked the Pokedex again, searching for any new information. I didn't expect any, but it was always worth a look.

I frowned, seeing one particular blog post that someone had just made on .

HOLY SHIT EVERYONE PALLET TOWN IS GONE

"What?" I muttered under my breath, refreshing the page. A new post duly appeared.

FREAKY EVIL LEGENDARY DESTROYED PALLET TOWN

My eyes widened, and I refreshed again. Suddenly, there was a photo accompanying the post, an overhead shot of Pallet Town. I recognised it, having been in the area a while ago.

The landscape seemed unchanged, but where Pallet Town itself should have been . . . there was nothing. What seemed like a massive sphere of white, a . . . hole in the world, was there instead. Directly above it, a tiny figure was floating in the air.

"This is the apocalypse? A deranged Legendary Pokemon ripping time and space apart?" I whispered in horror, slowly processing the situation.

How could we do anything against that? How could anyone do anything against that?

We journeyed onwards in silence, me occasionally checking the map to ensure we were on course. Every time I did so, my eyes strayed to the spot marked 'Pallet Town' on the map.

After an hour, we reached the end of the river. I returned Gyarados and threw out Charizard, climbing onto his back. "No time to waste, Char," I told him. "Let's go," The dragon growled in agreement, dashing into the air.

The flight passed in silence, the world around us bereft of other life. Every Pokemon was hiding in the vain hope that the apocalypse would somehow pass them by.

We continued on our journey, but I couldn't stop a worrying thought from gnawing at my mind.

What if even Arceus couldn't stop something like this?

Slowly, the sun set on the horizon, and Charizard landed. "We can't stop, boy. We're almost there," I told him. My dragon grumbled, but nodded, and took wing once more. "Atta boy," I smiled, patting his neck.

By the time we could see the moon, we had reached Sinnoh. I checked the Pokedex for reports. By now, a news story had aired, and I opened it, playing the recording.

The camera was obviously on board a helicopter of some kind, and a windswept reporter was clinging to the side of the chopper. "Hello, everyone. This unknown white ball has so far swallowed up almost forty percent of the Johto region, and is still slowly but steadily growing. Images have surfaced of an unknown Pokemon of some kind that appears to be causing this catastrophe. We are now searching for this Pokemon, in hopes of understanding its intentions and hopefully convincing it to reverse this," the reporter shouted. "Any sign of him?"

Suddenly there was a blur. The next thing anyone knew, a white and purple feline Pokemon was dangling the unfortunate reporter out of the chopper by one leg. "Oh, so now I'm a 'him'? Now that I'm destroying the world, I suddenly count as enough of a being to qualify as a 'him'? How interesting," The Pokemon's lips didn't move, but sound was created nonetheless, quite possibly caused by the Pokemon itself's power.

"What are you talking about?" the reporter called. "Why are you doing this?"

"Simple," the Pokemon hissed. "I am Mewtwo. I was created in a laboratory by you humans, and you regarded me as a test subject, a weapon, not a life form. Eventually, Imwas rescued by a man known as Giovanni - or so I thought. Giovanni wanted the same thing as the scientists had - to use me as a weapon, not recognise me as a person,"

"That's terrible, but -" the reporter tried.

Mewtwo dropped her, and the unfortunate woman fell screaming into the whiteness. The screams were cut off in an instant as she vanished.

"Know this, humans. You have proven yourself an irreparably flawed species. I will destroy this world, and create a new one, home to only beings that are your superior in every way - my fellow Pokemon. Pokemon everywhere! Renounce your misguided allegiance to humans and come to join me. We shall forge a better -" I paused the video, horror-stricken. This Mewtwo was a lunatic.

I felt a comforting presence at my side, and saw Luxray pressing his flank against me. He stared up at me, and I somehow knew that we agreed. There was no way that he was going to have anything to do with that Mewtwo character's delusional regime

"You're right," I nodded. "Let's head into town,"

The two of us made our way to the entrance of Pastoria City, and I looked around as we went.

The place was deserted. "What the hell is going on here?" I frowned, looking around.

"Lux!" my Pokemon suddenly barked, looking up, and I followed suit. "No way," I slowly breathed.

A massive, bird-like Pokemon slowly lowered to the ground in front of me. It's body was covered in coarse red-and-black skin, with five long claws at the end of each wing, and five more at the end of its similarly shaped tail. It balanced on two small legs near the base of its tail, and eyed me with solid blue eyes that hid beneath rocky horns, and had a mane of brown-black fur around its neck like a scarf.

The legendary Pokemon Yvetal was standing in front of me.

A voice spoke in my mind. 'Get on,' the Legendary commanded.

"Why are you here?" I asked in confusion. Yvetal wasn't native to Sinnoh, he lived in the Kalos region.

'I prefer to identify as female,' the Destruction Pokemon told me. 'Also, I am not that Yvetal. I am more civilised than my Kalos-dwelling cousin. And all of the Legendary Pokemon are gathering. We are grouping together in order to combine our strength and defeat Mewtwo,' she explained. 'Our rendezvous point is at Turnback Cave, and we are bringing all civilians we can find there in order to ensure their safety,'

"Turnback Cave?" I frowned, failing to comprehend.

'It is the place where the barriers between this world and the Reverse World are weak enough to allow a portal,' Yvetal explained.

"Reverse World?"

'Just come with me, you'll see,' the Legendary sighed.

I looked at Luxray, who nodded, and we carefully clambered up Yvetal's back, and the Legendary threw himself into the air.

'The Reverse World is a pocket dimension that exists within the Turnback Caves, and is home to Giratina, the Antimatter Pokemon, and a Legendary like myself,' Yvetal explained. 'By virtue of the fact that it is not part of the world as a whole, we hope that Mewtwo will overlook it, and thus are taking as many people there as possible. Additionally, all the available Legendary Pokemon in the world are rendezvousing there, in order to pool our resources for the battle against Mewtwo,'

"What about Arceus?" I pressed. "Is he helping?"

'Arceus is not available,' Yvetal shook her head. 'No one knows where he is or how to contact him,'

"What? But . . ." I trailed off. "Surely someone knows something about how to contact Arceus,"

Legendary Pokemon were fast fliers, and it was around now that Yvetal descended towards a hole in the side of the mountain. 'No one does,' the Dark-Type shook her head, ducking into the cave.

Turnback Cave had been renovated. The individual caverns had been merged and the roof raised, and a colourful stream of humans and Pokemon alike were making their way to a massive portal at the far end of the cavern. A multitude of Legendary Pokemon guarded the edges. Just from first glance, I counted two Moltres, a Ho-Oh, a Regigigas and its three vassals - Regirock, Regice, and Registeel, and a white, lion-like Legendary I didn't recognise.

'That's Solgaleo. He lives in the Alola region,' Yvetal explained, lowering her tail to let me and Luxray off. 'Go on, join the others,'

I looked at my starter, who shook his head, and I knew we were on the same page. "No," I spoke for both of us. "We're going to find Arceus,"

Suddenly, a black, insectoid face, framed with yellow horns, was staring directly at us, attached to a long, caterpillar-like body. 'Find Arceus?' the unknown Legendary snorted. Somehow, I understood him. 'I am Giratina, one of the three great dragons created by Arceus to help him shape the universe. I am veritably his son, and even I have no idea where he slumbers. What makes you think you can succeed where I have failed?'

"I -" I tried to come up with a response, really, I did. But Giratina was right. There was no reason for Arceus to listen to me, or way for me to find him.

'As I thought,' the antimatter Pokemon shook his head, and Yvetal let me down.

"We can't just give up, though," I frowned.

'Look around,' Yvetal told me. 'Every single Legendary Pokemon we can get ahold of is grouping together for a final stand against Mewtwo. No one's giving up,'

The machine in my pocket suddenly whirred, and I fished it out, staring in confusion. "Driver-compatible Pokemon detected," it reported. "Please capture for synchronisation,"

'What is that?' Yvetal frowned.

"Something a friend of mine made. It's supposed to make Pokemon stronger, but it needs a power source," I shrugged.

'Can't help you there,' the Legendary shook her head, then paused, looking up.

'I am Rayquaza. I assume command in this time of peril,' the great green serpent boomed, smashing a hole into the roof as he entered. He looked around, taking in the situation. 'Does anyone have any Pokemon that are capable of Mega-evolution?' he demanded of the refugees.

No one volunteered. 'Very well,' he sighed. 'Xerneas, Yvetal, Ho-Oh,' He gestured to the three Legendaries, including the one I stood next to. 'You three are the last line of defence, should we fail. All else, come! It is time for us to made our stand!'

I watched in despair as the dozens of Legendary Pokemon left the cave, as the last of the civilians passed through the portal. Giratina, notably, seemed grumpy about the fact that Rayquaza was taking charge, but didn't protest.

'You ought to go with the others,' Yvetal told me, but I shook my head and opened my Pokedex, checking the Internet. Nothing. Mewtwo had destroyed the Internet routers.

"What exactly is the plan as far as being the last line of defence goes?" I asked the three Legendaries.

'Hold back Mewtwo for as long as is necessary to make our retreat through the portal, then seal off the Reverse World,' the deer-like Pokemon told me.

"How?" I questioned. "What makes you think Mewtwo is just gonna let you fall back?"

'He won't,' the majestic firebird growled. 'Such are the sacrifices we make,'

My jaw set. "Not if I have anything to say about it,"

'You are a human," Xerneas snorted. "How could you help?'

I patted my belt, and sensed my Pokemon were in agreement. "We'll figure something out," I grinned.

'Your spirit is impressive, young trainer,' Ho-Oh nodded. 'Very well. Remain,'

I settled down, and released my Pokemon - with the exception of Absol.

Gyarados promptly tried to cram himself back into his ball. I sighed and returned him.

We waited. My team was skittish around Yvetal at first, but, learning she was not the destructive Yvetal of legend, they got on fine, and time passed.

Eventually, there was a muffled BOOM outside. "Is that good?" I asked.

Ho-Oh shook his head.

Suddenly, the cave wall exploded, revealing a figure I recognised from the news broadcast.

"This is seriously the best defence you so-called Legendaries could put up?" Mewtwo huffed, arms folded in disappointment. There was a wall of blank whiteness feet behind him.

I cursed.

'Stop this. This isn't right,' Ho-Oh pleaded.

"Neither am I. So we're even," Mewtwo snorted.

He was promptly blindsided by a massive gout of flame. My Charizard roared in triumph as his Flamethrower hit head-on.

Mewtwo turned and glared in anger. "How disappointing," And then, the part of the cave where my Fire-Type was was just gone, consumed by white nothingness. The Pokeball on my belt crumbled to ash and disintegrated.

I paled, swallowing out of reflex. My Pokemon. Charizard . . . .

"I do hope that none of you will be foolish enough to try that again," the Legendary frowned.

"Stop, please," I started. "I-if you do this, you're no better than the people who created you - in fact, you're even worse!" My voice cracked as I spoke, unable to stop thinking about what he had just done to my Pokemon.

Mewtwo paused for a second, mulling this over.

He shrugged. "I can live with that," And with that, a massive tentacle of nothingness reached out at his behest and twisted towards me. I threw my hands up in reflex.

And one of those hands still contained Professor Trevors' gadget. "Appropriate power source detected," the machine droned. "Battle Ready Energy-slash-Armour Kombat Driver initialised," it declared, drinking in Mewtwo's power. I stared in confusion as it crackled with golden energy, before suddenly a burst of power crackled up my arm. I dropped it in shock, and every eye was focused on the device as golden energy built within it.

Suddenly, it cracked, sending out massive bolts of lightning in opposite directions, and the ground split apart where the lightning touched, forming a chasm with glowing gold sides. "What?" I breathed, stepping back.

Suddenly, the ground crumbled beneath me, and I pitched forwards, falling into the growing hole. "Lux!" my starter shrieked, leaping after me. 'Not on my watch,' Yvetal agreed, following.

That was all I heard before blacking out.


	3. Prologue -1: Mission

Prologue -1: Mission

When I came to, I was floating in space. I looked around as my memories foggily came back to me. All of my Pokemon were there, even Absol, somehow released from her Pokeball, as well as Yvetal, Xerneas and Ho-Oh, and I reached out and grabbed Luxray's paw for comfort.

All of them except Charizard.

Luxray slowly came to, and reassuringly licked at my face. "Stop that, you," I snorted, unable to stop myself from chuckling. His tongue tickled.

There was a noise like a thunderclap, and an image fizzled into being as the Pokemon around me woke up.

"This is the current state of the universe," a voice rumbled. The image depicted the cave, or what was left of it. Mewtwo was still there, but all the other Pokemon were gone - replaced by a single blue Pokemon with framework around its waist that I immediately recognised.

Arceus.

Everything behind Mewtwo was white nothingness, and the two Legendary Pokemon were frozen in a clash, seconds from impact. Mewtwo with his fist ready to strike, Arceus with his head lowered and horns bared.

"I alone am not powerful enough to defeat this being," Arceus rumbled. "If I fight Mewtwo by myself, I will lose. So I have frozen time in this universe, and lifted you and your Pokemon out of it," He was directly addressing me. I felt honoured.

"No, it would take two of me to come off best in this battle," he informed me. "So that is what I have decided to do,"

Slowly, a white object materialised, gaining first definition, then colour. Cyan blue, with a navy base. "This egg contains a baby Arceus. Zach, I am going to send you and your Pokemon to an alternate dimension. Train my son there, let him grow strong. And when he is ready, return him to our world, so that he may aid me in the battle. Once that has happened, we shall take back our universe from Mewtwo,"

"What?" I breathed. "But -" There were a lot of questions I could have asked. What should I do, how should I do it - but only one came to mind. "Why me?"

For a brief second, the screen showed a tanned boy in a blue jacket and red hat. A Pikachu was perched on his shoulder. Then it flashed back to the frozen battle. "The boy I usually get for things like this is, ahem, out of commission. The rupture of time and space can cause assets to be lost," Arceus admitted. "As for why you, well . . . you are the last one left,"

"The last what?" I asked.

"The last friend to Pokemon in our universe. Wear the title with pride on your travels, Zachary Geldum. You are The Last Trainer,"

Suddenly, every single one of the nine Pokemon around me returned into balls, all of which were forced into the backpack still slung across my back. The egg Arceus had given me joined them, and a shimmering golden portal appeared beneath me. "Don't worry. I found someone in the other world who should be able to help you if you stay with him. We shall meet again very soon,"

Once again, everything went black.


	4. Chapter 0: Parallax

Chapter 0: Parallax

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I noticed was the sun.

It was a relieving sight. I was pretty sure that Mewtwo had destroyed it . . . wait . . Mewtwo did destroy it!

My memories slowly returned, and I recalled the encounter with Arceus. "Alternate universe . . trippy," I recalled, picking myself up and looking around. I was on top of a hill, in the middle of grassland with mountains a little way off.

I felt a weight in my pocket, and reached into it, expecting to produce my Pokedex . . . instead, I discovered the sculpted, golden form of Professor Trevors' device. "Battle Ready Ener . . screw it, that name is way too long," I shook my head, thinking about the initials. "Hey, they're an acronym. How did I miss that?" I looked at the device with a smile. "I guess I'll call you the BREAKDriver,"

Having sorted that out, I discovered the Pokedex in another pocket. A quick activation and examination proved that nothing noticeable had changed, though its internet browser was offline. Annoying.

Another memory flashed into my brain. "Arceus said something about someone who would help me," I recalled, looking around. No one for miles, that I could see. "Eh, I'll find them," I shrugged, reaching down to my belt and taking a look.

I immediately recognised five of the six Pokeballs there, and after a couple of seconds more, realised that the last was the one holding Trevenant. "Oh yeah," I muttered, recalling the fate of the last member of my team. "Charizard . . ."

An idea occurred, and I reached for Absol's Pokeball, releasing the Dark-type. The furry quadruped bleated as she emerged, looking at me curiously. I crouched and gently rubbed her head. "Hey, girl. How are you feeling?"

She looked around. "Better than before. Don't suppose you can tell where we are?"

I rose. "Can't say I know, but we'll figure -" I froze, wheeling back to face my Pokemon. We both stared at each other for a few seconds.

"You understood me?" she gasped.

I slowly nodded, frowning. "Okay, are we both speaking Pokemon or did you learn English?"

One of the Pokeballs on my hip clicked open, and Metagross materialised with a stern look. "If I may," he droned. "In order to prevent a lengthy discussion period, you are still speaking English, Zach, but seem to have gained the ability to understand the native language of Pokemon, if not knowledge of how to actually speak it,"

"So, what Pokemon have, but in reverse," Absol surmised. "Just like we can understand English but can't speak -" she cast an awkward look at Metagross. "Usually can't speak it, you can understand Pokemon but can't speak it,"

I paused, thinking through this for a second. "How does that work?"

"Pokemon simply lack the vocal and vascular anatomy needed for enunciation," Metagross explained.

I decided to pretend I knew what he had just said. "Sounds right," I nodded, and reached down to my belt, releasing the other four Pokemon. Trevenant gratefully stretched, and Luxray nosed at me. "You can understand us now? How?" he asked in excitement.

I looked at him and shrugged. "We did just meet God. Giving a human the ability to understand Pokemon is probably a pretty small thing for him,"

"He most likely wanted to ensure that you could comprehend his son when he hatches," Metagross hypothesised.

"Well, I'm happy," Sylveon chuckled. "Now you can finally order me the right kind of make-up,"

I blinked. "I thought you liked pink?"

The Eveelution gagged. "You just answered your own question,"

"If I may, do you recall the fact that Arceus gave you an egg?" Metagross pointed out. "Would it not be logical to inspect the contents of your backpack?"

"You're right," I nodded, sitting back down and unzipping the bag, and as I reached I,, my hands immediately found a smooth, curved object.

I lifted the blue Arceus egg out with the utmost of care and laid it on the ground. The Pokemon gathered around in awe.

"How do we hatch it?" Trevenant asked.

"I could sit on it," Sylveon offered with a shrug, flicking her tail.

"I don't think that's going to work," I shook my head, carefully tapping the egg.

"Do not be concerned. My spectroanalysis indicates that while it is indeed an egg, its density is incredible, and its mass is so great that my scans cannot pick up any information about its contents. However, I doubt we need to be concerned about it breaking," Metagross tonelessly informed me.

"So, we just wait?" I asked for confirmation. "It appears so," Metagross responded.

"Okay," I nodded, placing it back in the bag. "Maybe I should get a Luxury Ball or something, to be ready - actually, do I have one of those?" I wondered, reaching deeper into the satchel to pull out the small bag of Pokeballs, and emptying its contents out onto the ground.

Three Ultra Balls tumbled out, along with four Normal Balls, a pair of Lure Balls and a pair of Heal Balls, and finally a Master Ball. There was a small note attached to the Master Ball, which definitely hadn't been in there before, and it read; 'Only the best for my son,'

"Well, I guess Arceus has some sense of pride," I commented, pocketing the Master Ball and resolving not to use it for anything other than the egg in my bag as I relayed the message to the illiterate members of my team.

I sorted through the other spare balls and put them back in the bag, eventually having replaced all but the Ultra Balls . . . and immediately noticed something strange.

All three of them were full.

"Well, that's odd," I frowned, picking one at random and tripping the clasp.

With a mighty flare of rainbow light, the Ho-Oh that had been with me in the cave emerged and stretched. "Oh, thank goodness!" he shrieked.

Every jaw dropped.

Experimentally, I tripped the other two Ultra Balls, and the Xerneas and Yvetal that had been with me in the cave emerged, blinking in the sunlight. Yvetal stretched her wings, but seemed content to remain on the ground for the time being.

The non-Legendaries, including myself, were silent. "Is it just me, or did we just add three Legendary Pokemon to the team?" Luxray finally questioned.

"It's not just you," Sylveon responded. "I see it too,"

"If I had to guess," Xerneas commented, trotting over. "We were in the vicinity, and Arceus decided our talents should not be put to waste when they could be useful on your quest,"

"It is only logical," Metagross agreed.

The Fairy-Type Legendary inclined his head to me. "I am at your command,"

Ho-Oh huffed as he landed. "Speak for yourself. I don't particularly like the idea of having a trainer,"

"Regardless of your opinion, the fact remains that this boy may be the only hope for the salvation of our home universe. That fact alone would be reason enough for me to remain with him, even disregarding the obvious devotion he has for his Pokemon,"

"Are they even listening to us?" I whispered to Luxray. "Just smile and nod, it's what I do," he responded.

I nodded, accepting this - then paused as he shot me a cheeky grin. "Hey!"

"All that I bring to bear is yours," Xerneas informed me, bowing. I smiled and reached out my hand - then paused. "Is it, uh, appropriate to -"

"Go ahead," he brayed, and I gently stroked his head, before returning him.

"I'm going for a flight," Ho-Oh snorted, spreading his wings wide and taking off again.

I looked around for the third Legendary. After a few seconds, I spotted Yvetal curled up at the base of the hill. I was no Pokemon interpreter, but she looked upset, so I picked myself up and crossed over to her. "Is something wrong?" I questioned, taking a new seat next to the Dark-type Legendary.

"I shouldn't be here," she sighed.

That was unexpected. I blinked, raising an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"I'm a Yvetal. Yes, I'm not feral, like the one in Kalos, but I still . ." the Legendary sighed. "I'm not supposed to be on a team,"

"Is this about the entire 'absorb life' thing?" I questioned, recalling the legend. "That's true?"

She nodded.

"I thought it only happened, like, every thousand years, though?" I pointed out.

"Well, yes, and it's still a couple of hundred years away for me, but,"

I blinked, thought for a second, and stared at her directly in the eye. "Your life-absorbation thing is still two hundred years away?"

"Closer to three hundred, but the point stands," the Legendary reasoned. "I don't want to hurt you or your friends when that happens,"

My eyebrows raised in incredulity. "How much do you know about humans?"

The Legendary looked surprisingly sheepish. "Not much,"

"Well, for your information, the average human lives for eighty or ninety years," I patiently explained. "Most non-Legendary Pokemon won't live much longer. Even if you stayed with me and my team for the rest of our lives, we'd all die of old age before your cycle looped over," I pointed out.

Yvetal paused, processing this. Her massive, wing-like hand swooped over and clapped to her avian face in a legendary facepalm. "I'm so stupid. How did I not know that?"

I gently patted her cheek. "Aww, you're fine,"

The Legendary nodded, and returned hers.

Metagross plodded over to me. "I am detecting someone approaching," he rumbled.

Wordlessly, I returned him, Trevenant, Sylveon and Gyarados, moving up to the top of the hill. As I reached the top, Absol returned herself too, and Luxray stood next to me protectively as I looked around. There was a browning dirt path weaving around the side of the hill, and a small group of people were approaching. "I don't suppose this is the guy Arceus expected me to meet up with?" I frowned, squinting. One of them, the one at the front, was dressed in blue, with a tiny yellow speck on his shoulder. Something rung a bell about him, but I couldn't quite place it.

"Okay, boy. Let's go take a look," I decided.

"You sure it's safe?" my starter growled, but I shrugged his warning off. "It's talk to them or spend days wandering around out here. We have no food, no water and no idea where we are. How bad could it be?" I reasoned.

"Fair enough," the Pokemon sighed, following me as I dashed down the hill.

As I dashed down the path towards the small group, more details became distinct. The leading boy was wearing a blue jacket over a black shirt, with a red hat and black pants. He was tanned, and a Pikachu was perched on his shoulder. Behind him, two more people trotted after him. The first was pale-skinned, with dark blue hair hanging to her waist tucked into a white cap, with a black vest and pink skirt. She was cradling a Piplup in her arms. The other was tall and Asian, with spiky brown hair, a green shirt with an orange vest and greying beige trousers, and was also the only person in the group not accompanied by a Pokemon.

The leading boy broke into a run, moving to intercept me. "Whoa!" he shouted as we neared each other. "Why are you in such a hurry?"

I shrugged. "Running's faster than walking, right boy?" I smirked, patting my Luxray. He barked in agreement with a cheeky grin. "Got that right!" I knew that the other boy only heard an enthusiastic "Lux!" but the point got across nonetheless.

The black-haired boy grinned, extending a hand for a handshake. "I like your attitude! Name's Ash. Ash Ketchum,"

"Zachary Geldum, but call me Zach," I responded, taking his hand and shaking it.

"Nice to meet you!" his Pikachu chirped. "Always nice to see another Electric type around,"

I opened my mouth to respond, before realising that he was talking to my Pokemon, not to me. Luxray nodded in agreement, flicking his tail. "Same to you. I'm his only Electric type, so it's good to have solidarity,"

"Soli-what?" the mouse blinked.

"So, what are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere?" Ash asked.

I shrugged, scratching the back of my neck. "I'm kinda lost,"

Ash's two friends caught up. "Well, if you want to get un-lost, you're talking to the wrong person," the girl smirked.

"Yeah. Ash is so good at getting lost he could make a living out of it," her friend chuckled.

"Hey, I'm not that bad," the trainer protested.

"Yes, you are," his friends chorused. Even Pikachu joined in. I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Oh, whatever," Ash snorted.

"I'm Brock," the Asian-looking man told me. "And I'm Dawn," his accomplice smiled.

"So, do you three have any idea where we are?" I asked.

"Well, we're on our way to Eterna City," Brock explained. "This is Route 205, in Sinnoh,"

I frowned as one of the Pokeballs on my hip clicked open, and Metagross appeared. "Fascinating," he droned. "A short-distance geospatial transport as a side effect of interdimensional travel. Perhaps the motion of the planet during a chronological slip, or possibly a minor error in Arceus' calculations,"

I blinked. "Minor error? We're on the wrong side of Sinnoh!"

"At least we are not in Alola," the Steel-Type pointed out.

"Er, why can your Metagross talk?" Dawn questioned.

"I an utilising an experimental Pokemon translator devised by scientists in Johto. It has proven to cause cranial damage to most Pokemon, however the fact that Metagross possess four brains allows me to bear the strain with minimal difficulty," my Pokemon explained.

"Wait, did you say Arceus?" Ash frowned.

"And interdimensional travel?" Brock followed up.

The three of us froze, before me and Luxray's gazes swivelled to glare at Metagross, who looked suitably apologetic. "Ahem, sorry,"

"I was really hoping this wouldn't come up," I sighed. "Take a seat, everyone. If you want the whole story, it's gonna take a while,"

Dawn covered her eyes and looked up at the sun. "Actually, it's already, like, five in the evening. Maybe we should set up camp?" she suggested.

"Good idea," Ash grinned. "Hey, Zach. You wanna bunk with us?" he offered.

I blinked. "Oh, uh, thanks. I don't really have any gear, though," I awkwardly trailed off.

"He can borrow my spare sleeping bag," the Pewter man sighed.

"What, you didn't travel between dimensions prepared?" Dawn joked.

Sighing, I shook my head. "I expected to land within a few miles of Pastoria City. Not in the middle of nowhere on the wrong side of the bloody mountain range,"

Ash unzipped his bag and produced a sleeping mat, shaking it out and laying it on the grass, a little way off the path. "Come on, the grass is fine!" he joked.

We set up camp, and, as Brock started cooking dinner, everyone released all of their Pokemon, and we settled down. I decided to keep the two Legendaries I had around at present a secret for now, and hope at Ho-Oh didn't decide to return without warning. I couldn't drop too many bombs at once.

So me and my six non-Legendary Pokemon regaled our new friends with the story of things as they had gone so far. Ash in particular seemed shocked at the revelation that Mewtwo was responsible for my world's destruction. "He wouldn't do that," the boy protested. "The Mewtwo I know is nicer than that,"

"I never said we were talking about the Mewtwo _you knew_ ," I pointed out, and Ash blinked, before nodding.

The story culminated with my producing Arceus' egg from my backpack, as proof that my story was no lie. Brock was fascinated by the egg . . right up until he realised that dinner was ready. After that, everyone was more concerned with eating than examining.

The sun set, and as I watched red rays or light pierce the heavens, I was uncomfortably reminded of my home and its sun. A sun that no longer existed.

"It still kinda amazes me that you all believe me just like that," I commented to the other three trainers as our Pokemon returned.

"Trust me, if even _half_ of the things that Ash says he's seen and done are true, the concept of an alternate dimension isn't so hard to grasp," Dawn chuckled.

"Universe," my Metagross corrected her, before returning himself.

"Whatever," Ash shrugged, crawling into his sleeping bag. "Goodnight, everyone,"

"Goodnight, Ash," his Pikachu agreed, curling up by his cheek.

I recalled how, back when Luxray was a little Shinx, he used to snuggle me in the same way. Evidently, he did too, as the big black lion sat down next to me, refusing to return, and affectionately licked at my face as he settled down. "Night, boy," I smiled, patting his face.

"See you in the morning,"

A/N

 **A/N**

 **Aww, no reviews? Boo. -.-**


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